Sunday, September 30, 2012

Dealing With Long-term Diseases

by Donna L. Watkins

It's been six (6) months since I visited the Emergency Room and was told to contact Hospice and have a living will since I did not want medical treatment.  I had been diagnosed with a totally diseased heart valve, was in atrial fibrillation for three (3) months, and was experiencing congestive heart failure with twenty-one (21) extra pounds of fluid on my normal 120-pound body.  

Every breath was precious at that time since the lung x-rays a month earlier had showed them 1/3 filled with fluid, and 30 days later it certainly wasn't getting any better.  Which was my real motivation for the visit to the ER.  I was now willing to do an IV diuretic to get some of the fluid off.

The Heart of the Matter is the beginning of this healing story. There are links at the bottom of that post for all updates.

End of Summer Garden Colors
Blue & Black Salvias with Obedient Plants
Now that I'm down the road a bit ... things have continued to improve. I force my thoughts to dwell on seeing myself well.  Most times people with long-term diseases tend to see themselves "sick trying to get well."

Instead we need to see ourselves as "healed resisting sickness." If we tolerate sickness, it will hang around as long as we do.  I have such a strong tendency to be able to "bear up and move on" so now that I have energy and so many things healed already, it is a challenge to deal with all that's left, but there's a lot left that I learned to live with and I'm not going to put up with any involvement of the devil in my life. 

It's hard to decide which problems are at the top of the list, but I guess I would say that the destruction from the rheumatoid arthritis would be my first choice since it would certainly allow me to be less clumsy in the kitchen and allow me to do things I've not been able to do for a very long time, such as ride a bike (be able to hold on the handlebars), swing in the playground, cut food on my plate without looking like a contortionist, and the list goes on.

After that I would choose vitiligo or allergies?  It's been 36 years with the vitiligo (loss of pigment in patches all over my body). Since I'm light-skinned it's less noticeable as long as I stay out of the sun to tan my pigmented skin, but as you might imagine I dream of many "fun in the sun" activities.  When we moved to Virginia from Alabama the sun was much less intense and about eight (8) years ago I made the decision it was not going to control my time in the garden.  We do have a well-shaded acre lot so I can roam about without continual sun, but the victory of not fearing the sun has been wonderful.  It's allowed me to venture out on canoes while my hands could still hold the paddle.  

Allergies?  Well I was born with them, so I guess that's a very long-term issue at 62 years.  Foods, chemicals, pollen, cat dander, etc.  Yes, we do have a cat and I've had as many as three at a time since I learned I was allergic to them in 1979.  Like I said, I do well being stubborn (stupid) enough to ignore such things.  

Now I convert it into a faith move since "faith without works is dead."  If we truly believe that we are healed as Jesus said and that our bodies will manifest that as we get revelation on it, then we should find some way to act that out.  But it needs to be faith, not the desire to get something for doing the work.  In other words I didn't get off all the supplements I used to manage my many diseases hoping it would be a 'work of faith' that would produce healing ... but rather that I believed it was time to do it because I was healed in the spirit realm and awaiting its manifestation in the physical realm.

To understand more about the spiritual vs. the physical realm of it already being done, read the article "You've Already Got It."  You can watch a conference on this topic or download the MP3's to listen to the audio version, at this link.

Close-up of Obedient Plant
I do a lot of picturing of my cells becoming as God intended them to be. After all our entire body renews itself in 120 days ... but I'm commanding my cells to be as God's original design, not just duplication of those worn-out disobedient cells I already had!

For a month now I have realized the fact that I now have more energy and stamina than I had before the heart issues and because of that can do many more things than I was able to do.  It makes me joyous to realize what the devil planned for evil, God has used for good. That's amazing to me and so exciting that I can do almost whatever I want now (except with my hands). Matter of fact I sometimes have a hard time sleeping because I want to be with Papa God in His Word or have something exciting I want to accomplish the next day and I get too excited to sleep.

Randal just realized last week that the hard thumping in my aorta isn't there. It was thought that I might have an aortic aneurysm. I never went for the test since I knew I wouldn't do anything about it. It wouldn't have showed up on the sonogram they did when my heart valve blew out and I went into congestive heart failure, so I will never know. You could visibly see my heart pounding in my stomach area when I laid down and Randal said he could always feel it when he gave me hugs.

Anyway ... he came to me that morning and told me he doesn't feel that any more and I thought about it and realized I don't notice it any more when I lie down either. Since the heart crisis and all those months of sleeping sitting up I now praise the Lord every time I lie down flat to sleep or spend some kitty loving time. So ... I journaled another victory in my Healing Journey book.

Another thing that's been happening is that I had symptoms of hyperactive thyroid, so three (3) weeks ago, I cut my dosage on the thyroid glandular in half from two pills to one.  I've been on thyroid since 1976 when they gave me radioactive iodine to destroy my overactive thyroid, which made it under active.  A few years later I switched to a more natural product, but knowing the thyroid has to do with many things in the body, I'm not surprised that it's one of the things healing that I've not thought much about.  The cut in dosage made a difference in all symptom concerns, so .....

Today I stopped the thyroid completely believing the Holy Spirit was directing me to do so.  I can't say I have total confidence in what I hear, so I have relied on my symptoms to guide me.  I will make note if the symptoms lessen even more (hair falling out, not sleeping deeply, increased appetite without weight gain, a sense of being anxious, etc.) to know I'm on the right track and after 6-8 weeks off of it I will go for a blood test at the clinic where I've been going annually.  There's a wonderful Christian doctor there that has worked with me for the past 12 years without being condescending about my health care choices.  He was who I went to when the whole heart thing began and he arranged the cardiologist appointments.  We don't have any primary care doctors.

I've had so many health problems long-term that my mind is taking awhile to be renewed in all the principles of divine healing. Jesus has already done it in the spiritual realm, but I'm only 1/3 spirit being. I also have a soul and body. The body will take direction from the spirit or soul, which ever we choose and for many, many, many years my soul (mind, will, emotions) has been in charge. 

Donna & Randal - July 12, 2012
Crabtree Falls - Tyro, VA
It's a new period of life -- never too old to learn. Long-term health problems tend to become part of who you are. We adapt and put up with things thinking we're supposed to be strong and bear it, when in actuality we were commanded to rebuke it and command it to leave. Only the devil wants to steal, kill and destroy, so it's not God putting disease on us. There's not one account of Jesus using disease to teach anybody anything.

The Word is for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (I Timothy 3:16). And that wonderful Word is what's renewing my body step by step. Praise God! It's been five (5) months now since the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) left. It's no longer chomping its way through my joints, muscles and organs. It will be a grand day when all the RA damage all over my body is renewed or regenerated.

I began with this book, "God Wants You Well" three months before the heart health crisis hit.  I just "happened" upon it in August and requested it on my Amazon Wish List for my birthday in early September.  God was preparing the way before me!  How awesome is our Father!  He loves us soooo much!



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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Believing and Receiving

From Andrew Wommack

Matthew 21:19 "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away."

The Greek word for presently means "instantly; immediately; soon." However, the disciples didn't realize that the fig tree had died until the next day. If the tree died instantly, why didn't they notice it until the next morning? The answer to this question is found in Mark 11:20. The tree was dead from the roots up. The tree did die instantly just as the Word declared, but what had happened to the roots wasn't visible until the next morning.

There is a spiritual lesson here that applies to us receiving things from God. When we ask, we do receive, but it may take a period of time before we perceive it in the natural realm. God's answer comes before we see the manifestation of what we have believed the Lord for when we prayed. Just as with this fig tree, the answer lies beneath the surface, and therefore we don't "see" what God is doing until the answer manifests.

Not all answers to prayer are manifested instantly. Satan can hinder God's power even after it has been released. In Daniel 10:1-13, God answered Daniel's prayer instantly, yet it took 21 days for Daniel to see God's answer manifest, because the prince of Persia (a demonic power) withheld the manifestation.

Prayer that meets the requirements outlined in God's Word is always answered.

Many times we don't perceive the answer because it always comes in the spiritual realm first then is manifested in the physical realm. If we waver from our confident faith, then we abort the manifestation of our answer to prayer. But God did answer. Everyone that asks receives.


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Humpback Rocks Homestead Farm - Blue Ridge Parkway, VA

by Donna L. Watkins

Humpback Rocks Homestead or Farm Museum
Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 5.8
Humpback Rocks Visitor Center and Farm Museum is a great stop for people driving the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. It's not far off of Interstate 64 at milepost 5.8 of the Parkway. The homestead farm is a great place to spend some peaceful time amongst the 19th farm buildings. You get a feel for life as it was long ago.

Early European settlers made a living from the native materials that flourished in these Appalachian Mountains. Chestnut, hickory, and oak trees provided nuts for food and logs for building, while rocks uncovered where farming was to be, were used as foundations and chimneys for the houses. There are also some stone fences to keep livestock from wandering away.

There were many farms in this mountainous area. It seems strange to me that folks would choose such a cold place compared to maybe setting up home in the valley.

Music in the Mountains Fall Fest at
Humpback Rocks Homestead on Blue Ridge Parkway, VA
The National Park Service assembled actual buildings from nearby locations to create the homestead. The visitor center has exhibits explaining more about this kind of life and there is a picnic area also. Actual farming takes place and interpretive people in period costume demonstrate local crafts and skills.

During the summer there are "music in the mountains" events, which is what we attended just a couple of weeks ago. The photo album is compiled of more than that visit, but you'll see the videos of the music group in the album also.

A trail from the homestead leads up to another parking lot for a difficult trail to the top of Humpback Mountain. The mountain is named for an outcrop of rocks near the peak of 3,080 feet. Those who reach the summit can see in all directions. The 1 mile trail to the Rocks is very tough, gaining about 800'. The views are great looking west onto the Shenandoah Valley and north to Shenandoah National Park.

View the Photo Album of Humpback Rocks Visitor Center and Homestead.


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Study Finds GM Corn and Roundup Causes Cancer In Rats


From GreenMedInfo.com 

In an alarming new study published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, researchers from The Committee for Research & Independent Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN) reported on the results of a 2 year feeding study in rats given either NK603 Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize, cultivated with or without Roundup, and Roundup alone, at levels permitted in drinking water and GM crops in the United States.  

The authors of the study pointed out that currently, no regulatory authority requires mandatory chronic animal feeding studies to be performed for edible GMOs and formulated pesticides, and the only 90 day feeding trials were conducted by the biotech industry. 

This study, therefore, was performed in light of this need, and the results were an unprecedented confirmation of the cancer-causing effects of GM food and agrichemicals, reported as follows ...

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Pets: Maintaining Strength and Mobility

Video by Dr. Sarah


In the next installment of the Successful Aging Series, this episode of Pet Talk is devoted to maintaining strength and mobility, especially for older companion animals.

With improvements in nutrition and awareness of the benefits of frequent exercise, our companion animals are leading much longer lives than pets in the early 20th century. Many pet parents expect that infirmity is an inescapable aspect of growing old, but the evidence suggests that it’s not quite so inevitable.

In this brief video, you’ll learn about how proper weight, good food and exercise can all play vital roles in helping your beloved four-leggeds keep a spring in their step on into their Golden Years. Watch the latest episode of Pet Talk now.

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Friday, September 21, 2012

North Carolina Botanical Garden - Chapel Hill, NC

by Donna L. Watkins

If you're interested in native plants, this is really the place to be.  Not only do they have large display areas, but the Education Center has displays instructing people what not to plant and what to plant instead of it.  Invasive plants have become a serious problem across the country costing millions of dollars to manage.

LEED Platinum-certified Green Education Center
at North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, NC
The Education Center certainly fits the bill on being "natural" also.  It's a LEED Platinum certified building, the highest level awarded for green buildings. The Education Center, dedicated in 2009, is the first building on a University of North Carolina campus, the first state-owned building in North Carolina and the state’s first public museum and outreach center to earn LEED platinum status.

There are 7 above ground and one below ground cisterns at this LEED certified green building. The total capacity is about 54,400 gallons of rainwater. The 27,000 square feet of roof surfaces drains into them. A 1-inch rain generates 16,786 gallons of water. 2.4 inches of rainfall will fill them to capacity. Overflow is directed to 11 onsite bio-retention areas to allow water to slowly soak into the ground.

The gardens were designed to have things in bloom from Spring to Fall.  There were lots of butterflies and it was nice to see a good amount of Monarchs since they seemed to be getting more and more rare.

View photo album, with detailed descriptions, of North Carolina Botanical Gardens.

© Donna L. Watkins - Monarch Butterfly on Coreopsis
Our visit turned out to be on a hotter day than we had planned, so although we thoroughly enjoyed all we saw, we did cut our visit short and missed the attached nature trails, Coker arboretum and Battle Park with more nature trails.  There's also an herbarium that would've been lovely to visit.  They have tours of some of the areas also at varying times of the month.  Check their schedule.

It's a lovely place that you could spend a morning, afternoon, or an entire day if you pack a picnic lunch.  The signage is really great for the plants.  I like that since if there's something I'd like to add to my own garden, I can write down the name and cultivar of the plant.

If you're planning to be in the area, schedule some time here, but I have to admit that our favorite garden in the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill) is Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the campus of Duke University.


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Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University - Durham, NC

by Donna L. Watkins

© Donna L. Watkins - Bridge and Japanese Lantern with Autumn Colors
Sarah P. Duke Garden - Durham, NC
Often spoken of as "the crown jewel of Duke University," Duke Gardens occupies 55 acres in the heart of west campus. It's recognized as one of the premier public gardens in the United States, renowned both for landscape design and the quality of horticulture, each year attracting more than 300,000 visitors from all over the world.

We first visited Duke Gardens in late November over the Thanksgiving holiday.  The fall colors were gorgeous and we were blessed with visiting on the day that a huge ginkgo tree lost its leaves.  They usually drop all their leaves in one day or at least most of them.  It was such an awesome sight to behold I was mesmerized.  However after coming back home I realized I didn't get one photo.  I just stood spellbound watching the scene in slow motion.

It seemed such a spiritual experience.  There were children running around under the tree as if snowflakes were coming down.  Adults, many Asian, were picking up leaves carefully and stacking them in their hands.

© Donna L. Watkins - Sarah P. Duke Gardens - Durham, NC
Gingko leaves are medicinal. It's an extremely popular herb that millions use and it's considered an anti-aging herb because it increases circulation to the entire body, especially the brain, which elevates mood, enhances alertness and memory, and increases overall stamina. More on Ginkgo ...

The most recent visit in early September was much more colorful with many more plants in bloom. All of the fountains were refreshing to view since it was warm instead of chilly.  There were some huge "quiche dish" type of plants in a few of the ponds and we were excited to be able to find out what they were by searching online.  They have quite a story about them on the photo information in the album.

Matter of fact it was so warm that we decided to skip a couple of areas that we had viewed on our first visit. They were both areas of shade so the appearance wasn't much different.

© Donna L. Watkins - Water Platter Victoria
Virtual Peace Pond - Sarah P. Duke Gardens - Durham, NC
View Autumn Visit to Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

View Summer Visit to Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

If you're in the area, another great garden and nature trails place is at North Carolina University at Chapel Hill.

It has the North Carolina Botanical Gardens, Coker Arboretum, Battle Park, and herbarium, etc.  Lots of nature trails through preserved areas also.  Free tours are offered at some of these areas.  Check their schedule.


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Consider The Power of God's Word

by Andrew Wommack

Luke 8:11, "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God."

LUKE 8:11-15

It is through the reading of the Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that Christ in His fullness is known. What a privilege it is today to have God's Word in our own language. Six hundred years ago there was no English translation of the whole Bible.

Thanks to the efforts of John Wycliffe (1384) and William Tyndale (1523), today we are able to read and understand the writings of the apostles for ourselves. Men gave their lives to bring us God's Word. We should take advantage of this wonderful privilege.

The piece of armor known as the "sword of the Spirit" is the only piece of armor that has the ability to cut, wound, and hurt our enemy, the devil. It's not the Bible lying on your coffee table that makes the enemy flee, but it is the Word of God hidden in your heart, activated by the power of the Holy Spirit, and spoken in an appropriate situation.

It's similar to what is spoken when Jesus said in John 6:63, that "...the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." The Word by itself doesn't make us free. It is the Word we know and speak that will deliver us (Jn. 8:32).

Why is the Word so effective? It's because it is the WORD of God. It has authority, because it is indeed the WORD of God. God's Word supersedes all authority of the church, of reason, of intellect, and even of Satan himself.

It is the Holy Spirit that wields this Word as it is spoken in faith. Speaking God's Word in faith brings the Holy Spirit into action. In Luke 4, when Jesus was tempted of the devil for forty days, it was the Word of God, that Jesus used to defeat the enemy in the time of His temptation.

Jesus constantly met His temptation by quoting from God's Word as He repeatedly stated the phrase, "It is written." Likewise, the Christian soldier must avail himself of God's Word by placing it in his heart, so that the Holy Spirit may bring it forth at the appropriate time to accomplish a complete and total victory. It's yours!

Visit Andrew's Website.

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Creating a Log & Rock Piles for Wildlife

by Donna L. Watkins

Log piles, rock piles or stone walls make excellent places for many amphibians, small reptiles, and other wildlife species to hide, find food, and even raise their young. We have seen turtles in ours and I'm sure the bunnies spend some time there in winter.

Here's some ideas on what you can do:

© Donna L. Watkins - Brush Pile
• Build a permanent log pile, rock pile, and/or brush pile in the shade. Now and then we find a rock on the property, so we've been stacking them to provide lizards and skinks a place to run to for safety. We don't find large rocks, only ones you could hold in your hand, but when placed appropriately you leave spaces for them to crawl through.

Brush piles are excellent and fun Fall projects to build. Knowing they will protect and shelter wildlife through the winter is a fun experience for the family. Doing it in Fall gives the wildlife time to know what's available in your yard or property. Here's a great article and video on Brush Piles 101.

• Leave fallen logs on the ground, letting them decay naturally. This is a very important stage of life in a tree, even when it seems dead. It provides life to so many things in the woodland that provide food for birds and other forms of wildlife. Leave your dead trees standing and when they fall, leave them on the ground, even if you have to move them.

• Leave some leaf litter on the ground or in your planting beds. We shred our leaves and use them as mulch in our flower beds and around bushes. I've seen a shrew crawling beneath that mulch, so life goes on in many ways and places in a wildlife habitat garden.

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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Newsletter - 9/15/12




Hello Dear Friends!

We took a trip to Durham and Raleigh, NC, for three nights. It's 3.5 hours from us, so we headed out before Labor Day weekend. When we began planning the trip the weather was supposed to be rather cool, but a few days before leaving it switched to the 90's so it was warmer than I liked. That cut our visits a bit short at the places on our itinerary and we didn't walk as many nature trails as I had planned.

© Donna L. Watkins - Look of Glass, But It's Not
North Carolina Museum of Art - Raleigh, NC
Spiritually we had a grand time visiting an in-home Bible Study group on the evening of the day we arrived and also attended the church associated with it on Sunday morning. Met a lot of nice people and were very refreshed with the teaching.

Our itinerary included two gardens, three historic sites, one state park, and an art museum (on the hottest afternoon). I'm working on writing posts on each place along with photo album links. Below are links to three that are already posted.

The Museum of Art was my favorite of these three since it was a hot day (think air conditioning) and I was and still am fascinated by the scene in the photograph. Details about it are in the album.




You might remember I mentioned a friend's website who makes jewelry in the August 15th issue of this newsletter. She gives away 20% of her profits because she has a heart of love. Since it was almost time for my birthday I wanted one of her creations and sent a "wish list" link to my husband.

When my birthday arrived, I was pleased to find two items created by Christina. I love them and have already been getting compliments on them. I've never owned a piece of jewelry so uniquely designed. I can't say I'm a jewelry collector since I keep my jewelry box pretty simple ... but even with simple, these two items stand out as awesome!

Notice the necklace has birds and even a bird nest with eggs in it. I love the little gold filagree balls. It has an easy clasp and looks great on a solid colored pullover. 

Since I've not been able to wear rings for many years due to the damage from rheumatoid arthritis, I was excited to see the rings were made with expandable bands so now I can enjoy a bit of purple on my fingers until I see them all totally restored from the damage.

If you love jewelry or need a gift for somebody, check out Creative Art Expressions and be pleasantly surprised.

While we were in Durham I received an email from a friend that her husband had died in his sleep as he wanted. He had many health challenges over the previous two years and had amazing fortitude going through them. At one point he had 18 heart surgeries over a short period of time.

Jose and Helena Arouca - We Miss You Joe!
I know he was an inspiration to many, but I feel like the devil stole a really great friend from us. God doesn't put disease on us for any reason, but when the devil gets hold, He will use it for whatever good He can in our lives if we love Him and are called according to His purpose as the Scripture says (Romans 8:28).

There's certainly lots of other ways to be an inspiration than this avenue and his love of life and people was one of them. It's hard for those left behind to adjust their world to be a little smaller now that someone so special is no longer part of it. Send up a prayer for peace and comfort for his wife, Helena, and their three daughters.

They were both involved in our battle to save the deer here in our community when they wanted to begin a "culling" program ... a nice word for killing.  Many of us stood our ground and won the battle for their lives.  Helena is still involved in animal rescue since she's part of the SPCA shelter in our county.

There's a chill in the air here in Central Virginia.  Early mornings are in the 50's but by 9 AM our front porch is warmed by the sunrise and not much later the screened porch is a little piece of heaven for me.

© Donna L. Watkins - Young Buck in Backyard
The bucks are beginning to get anxious about mating season.  We're seeing more of them.  They will soon begin to gather together in groups.  They can get real rough with each other and I don't like seeing the marks on their skin from fighting.  One day the survival of the fittest will be over and all creation will be peaceful.

My health continues to improve and amaze me. The more you come to know our Abba Father, the more the spiritual realm can rule within us and overcome the physical realm with manifestations of healing and every other promise in the Word of God. I've written some details on what's going on now. The rheumatoid arthritis has been gone for months and that truly astounds me, although the healing that my heart has gone through is much more of a miracle to most around me. Read the article I wrote two days ago: You Have An Enemy But Victory Is A Choice.

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend.  We've been doing some more letterboxing in the area and enjoying that.  A few of you have shared an interest in this fun hobby also.  A great family thing and what an excuse to get outdoors.

Have a Blessed Day!
Speaking of getting out ... be sure to take advantage of the Free Museum Day. In the spirit of Smithsonian Museums, who offer free admission everyday, Museum Day is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian magazine in which participating museums across the country open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Ticket...for free.

View list of participating museums or do a search for something near you.


Love, Hugs and Many Blessings,
Donna

P.S.  Know somebody who needs to see something in this newsletter? 

Send them the link to the website:  www.TheNatureInUs.com.  


Thanks for sharing!  


View Posts By Topic


Posts Since Last Newsletter

You Have An Enemy But Victory Is A Choice  (DLW)

What’s The Best Birdseed To Use

Research on Probiotics for Pets

Monarch Butterflies Migrating Aren’t Ones You Saw ...

North Carolina Museum of Art - Raleigh, NC  (DLW)

Eno River State Park - Durham, NC  (DLW)

Historic Stagville - Durham, NC  (DLW)

Examine Your Faith  (DLW)

Buying Local Boosts Wildlife Population

Establishing A Humane Backyard

Poor and Rich

Newsletter - 9/1/12  (DLW)

Lynchburg, VA - Historical Old City Cemetery  (DLW)

GMO Gloomy Outlook for Health & Allergies

Camping with Your Canine Companion

Top Ten Best Wild 

Previous Posts You May Have Missed














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The photo(s) and article are copyrighted. You may use either of them if you include the following credit and active link back to this website: © 2012 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission from TheNatureInUs.com. The link to use is: www.TheNatureInUs.com.


Thursday, September 13, 2012

You Have An Enemy But Victory Is A Choice

by Donna L. Watkins

The news continues to be great on my health. The 21 pounds of fluid that moved off has not returned.  I am eating anything I want and even did a very high sodium meal a month ago at an Asian restaurant.  It's been two months since we returned the oxygen machine.  I have built back most of my weight and muscle and my endurance is improved so much I get to shouting and dancing around when I'm out walking on nature trails.

© Donna L. Watkins - Laughing Boy and Goat
Attilio Piccirilli (1866-1945), Lead, 1936
Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC
Click for Enlarged Image
I even stopped the herbal programs on June 15 so the devil couldn't play mind games with me as to what power was doing the healing ... the herbs or God.  Either way, it's all God, but you have to do what the Holy Spirit tells you to do, not what somebody else has followed, so I did what I thought was right for me.  Which is what I did when I refused surgery and all the drugs that came before and after it.

Adjusting to the gradual healing rather than the instant is getting easier since I do see continual improvement. Being an only child I quite often got my own way and I guess I expect that in some way somebody's going to make it happen NOW for me ... and yet I know it's all on me as to when it happens. Jesus often said " If ye have faith, and doubt not" and that makes it my ballgame.

To begin at the beginning of my healing journey, read The Heart of the Matter.

I certainly have faith as we all do because we were given the measure of faith and with Christ in us, we have His faith. BUT! It's the doubt that is the problem. And with long-term diseases, it often takes some time to renew our minds because the diseases become part of who we see ourselves as being. Sadly, most Christians give up if they don't see instantaneous healing. I've certainly considered it many times.

I'm so grateful for energy and that the inflammation from the rheumatoid arthritis has been gone for months now. It's still hard to believe, after 25 years of daily progression of the destruction, that the pain, swelling and inflammation are now gone. I still feel as though I need to hold my breath when I speak of it ... an obvious sign that I had some doubts. I can easily see how the disease becomes part of you. I find myself doing things that I haven't wanted to do for a long time. More kitchen work, cleaning and just changing clothes. When every joint and muscle hurts, you weigh the benefits of whether you're really hot enough to change your shirt, how thoroughly you want to wash your hair, whether you really want that meal that will require using a knife, and on and on and on it goes.

Fortunately when faith outshines the doubt, we bring what's already taken place in the spiritual realm ("by His stripes we WERE healed" - I Peter 2:24) into the physical realm. The mystical part of it is what makes it difficult for most folks since we tend to believe only what we process through our five senses. But God is spirit and relates to us in the spirit realm.

Since I had a friend coming over at 11:15 one day this past week, I had my list of household things to get done before she arrived so we could have our tea party and play a couple of games. Tuesday and Thursdays are my days for household chores, but I like to throw in a bit of play also. It's a great balance for living. I got up at 5:30 and by 10:15 realized I had not sat down or stopped moving since I got up.

I even drank my breakfast smoothie while rebounding. I cleaned the kitchen, did two large loads of laundry, made muffins and tapioca pudding (not with mixes), did almost an hour of gardening, cleaned off the deck and outside furniture, etc. etc. I am continually amazed at what is going on in my body. People here keep telling me it's a miracle, but it's not. It's available to everybody!

Jesus paid the price for our salvation and the word used in Greek is "sozo" meaning making one whole and complete - spiritually, mentally and physically. Look how this word was used in a few New Testament Scriptures:

Salvation
“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you shall be saved (sozo).” Romans 10:9

Healing
“But Jesus turning and seeing her said ‘Daughter take courage your faith has made you well (sozo) and at once the woman was made well (sozo).” Matthew 9:22

Deliverance
“And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well (sozo).” Luke 8:36

So the implication is made that when you are saved, it means you are not only healed "spiritually," but salvation means you are given freedom from the curse of sickness. In the Old Testament sickness and disease were listed always as a curse, never a blessing. And Jesus redeemed us from the curse.

© Donna L. Watkins - Timber Wolf Family
William Henry Turner (b. 1935), Bronze, 1990
Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC
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Christians are at war daily and if they're not in the battle, they're losing the war. Satan tires not in plaguing us with an onslaught of circumstances. The Bible says he goes about as a roaring lion to devour us (I Peter 5:8). We have the option to resist him with the promise that he will flee (James 4:7), but most Christians don't put up a fight at all.

I found throughout my life that with every new health problem, I would work hard at adapting and "keeping my chin up" and basically allowing the devil to dump disease on me, not having the knowledge of all that Christ had done for me to "live life abundantly." Because so much of the battle is in the mind with our thoughts about ourselves and circumstances, we have to know what God's Word says about things and renew our minds to believe it. Not just with our head ... it needs to be believed at the very center of our hearts.

Anything that is contrary to the Word is an enemy. We must take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). It takes awhile to even realize what we're thinking, but one sure way to notice is to listen to every word you speak, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

Keeping our minds stayed on God's Word is an obtainable goal. We have to cast out anything that tries to exalt itself above the Word of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). One sure killer for us physically is having a negative attitude and continually feeding ourselves and those around us with negative words. Even if you're a positive-speaking person, you can't allow all the negative, gloom and doom stuff from the media into your mind. You can feed your spirit with an hour of Word a day and negate it all with doubt, fear and unbelief just by listening to hours of news or bad reports.

We must focus on the good in our life each day and there is tons of it if we desire to be grateful for what we have. Recognizing the greatness of God in the sunrise, sunset, a glorious tree, a bird's melodious song, etc. will remind us that we are loved.

If we magnify the Lord, we make Him bigger than our problems. Isaiah 40:12 says, "God has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand." How much ocean can you hold in your palm? God by contrast, can hold all the water in all the oceans. Psalm 147:4 says, "He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them." How detailed is the God that created heaven and earth. How He cares for His Creation. Matthew 10:30 says He knows the very number of hairs on each of our heads.

That's a big God and one who loves us so much He became flesh to take on all of our sin and disease and shame so we could have eternal life. And in case you still believe that eternal life just means you'll live forever in heaven ... that's not what the Bible says. John 17:3 tells us "this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." God wants us to know Him by His wondrous deeds. He's not the Old Testament God. We have a New Covenant. Read The True Nature of God.

Whether it's disease, poverty, depression, grief or anything else that is less than an abundance of life, when we get to know God's true nature, what is true in the spirit realm will manifest in the physical realm. But you have to stand up for the battle. The devil has no power. It was taken from him when Jesus died on the Cross. The only power he now has is what we give to him. In Luke 10:19 Jesus tells us "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you."

Stand up with righteous indignation and tell the devil who's already won the war. Regain the inheritance you've been given. Come to know Papa God (Abba Father) as He wants to be known.

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